


Catch You On The Flip-Side

by Comp_Lex



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Bill is an isosceles jack ass, F/F, F/M, I'll add more tags later on, M/M, Older Characters, Older twins!, Other characters don't come in till later, Possessive!Bill, who loves Dipper's floof hair
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-27
Updated: 2016-09-27
Packaged: 2018-08-17 13:16:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8145434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Comp_Lex/pseuds/Comp_Lex
Summary: After so many years of waiting for control over Gravity Falls, Bill gets impatient and decides to act on the deal he made forever ago. He never did specify how long Pine Tree would remain his puppet... so he'd just have to use the boy a bit more to get what he truly desired. Though he didn't expect all this time spent with the boy to result in undesired affections. Dealing (literally) with past friends, Bill is going to have to find a loophole of his own in order to fix his own mistakes. Dipper is beginning to become a weakness of his. Will he be able to handle it on his own?(Mainly a billdip fic, but has other side relationships too. No Ford yet.)





	1. Chapter 1

Dipper could feel the malevolent eyes on him, glowing with mischief and a sickly obsession. The boy strived to get away and gain a safety he knew he most likely wouldn't obtain. For whatever reason, he needed to hide from the eyes that were watching him, and yet, it felt like in the woods- there was no place where he could find shelter.

He didn't know exactly what had happened, or where he was going, but he did know that he was in danger of something greater than himself. With every step he took, he stumbled, and fought to keep going. Vigorously, he ran, and even when his lungs felt like they were burning a hole in through his chest, he didn't stop.

From a distance, he heard a soft humming, and if it weren't for his own fear, Dipper probably would have fallen under it's hypnotic tune. The melody seemed to be straight from a fairy tale, sweet and simple. However, when the octives dropped and the sound went from major to minor, it became more dangerous. Its voice had an edge that startled Dipper to no end. Despite how threatening it sounded, it was gentle, just like a lullaby. The more Dipper ran, the clearer the humming had come to his ears, smooth and calm. As the voice grew louder, the crunching of the leaves between his feet seemed to dim out, as well as the rustling of the tree branches that brushed against his skin. His senses all seemed to numb out, only favoring the small tune surrounding him and the searing burn in his chest. Heavy breaths escaped Dipper's chapped lips as his knees grew weak under the weight of his body.

His mind became fogged, all thoughts of escape becoming void. Even the fear that had previously consumed him began to wither as he collapsed to his knees, his eyes dull and half-lidded. He grew tired of running from what he knew would be inevitable. So even if he could find the energy to keep going, he knew he wouldn't last for long. He had finally given up.  
Cold leather covered fingers lifted Dipper's chin so that he could meet the eyes of the other-

Those bright, glowing eyes that followed him to no end -

The man stood tall, those two gold and blue eyes never leaving his. Everything about him seamed nearly flawless, including the sly grin he held. Followed by caramel skin, pearly white teeth, and a stare that kept the teen's attention. Diaphanous gold cloth covered him, slick and pale to match the lighting of his wild untamed hair. He was slim and appeared to be around Dipper's age, everything fitting him more than the other cared to admit. The man looked dangerous, but only in the best of ways.

The humming continued, and at this point Dipper had realized that this other man was the source of the sound. The bitter-sweet tone matched the look in his eyes, and the teen had suddenly wished he would have kept running when he had the chance.

"Isn't it so much easier when you give in to me?" His voice purred softly, the fingers on Dipper's chin moving swiftly to cup his cheek. "...Pine Tree."

Dipper blinked, eyes widening slightly to stare at the other with a surprised expression. "B-Bill?"

The man only gave a small chuckle in return, tucking a loose strand of hair behind Dipper's ear. "Listen kiddo, I need to borrow you for a bit. Is that alright?"

"...What?" Dipper questioned, frowning as much as he could in his weakened state.

A soft sigh left Bill's lips as he stared at Dipper with a false sweetness, "Oh little sapling. So clueless I nearly pity you..."

"I don't..." Dipper said, voice low and tone annoyed, "What do you want from me..."

An amused glint came to Bill's eyes, and he gave the boy a sickly grin, "You know what I want. I've already told you," he said, pausing a moment to give the teen an almost virulent stare, "I need your body."

It took a moment for Dipper to finally react to the statement, eyes widening as he looked up at the other. The teen flushed, ears burning as he glared at the demon before him, his eyebrows knitting together. It only took a second for Bill to realize what the teen had assumed with the statement- and when he did, he couldn't help but laugh at the reaction. Of course THAT was where the teen's mind would wander to. Bill shouldn't have expected anything less.

"I meant, I have some arrends to run, and I'll need a body to get things done with." Bill explained, pulling back and rolling his wrist as he spoke. "Now, I do recall a deal being made- A hint for a puppet?"

Dipper paled, giving off a both baffled and upset expression as he tried to gather his thoughts, "The deal is void... You didn't keep your word. So... You have no right..."

"Ah, but I do." Bill said with a devilish grin, "I gave you a hint, as promised. McGUCKET Labs. Remember that? You wouldn't have even seen it if I hadn't broken that silly little laptop of yours." He hummed as if deep in thought, tapping his chin lighly before he continued to speak, "In fact- if it weren't for me, you wouldn't have come as far as you already have."

"What- that's not fair! You said you'd give me the password!" Dipper yelped, really getting the demon's attention, and regretting it.

"Sapling," Bill whispered under his breath, moving his hand to thread through Dipper's brown locks, "When are you going to realize that-" he paused to yank on the hair, pulling Dipper's head back and forcing him to look his way. The boy could only wince, a strangled sound leaving his parted lips as Bill continued to speak, "Life isn't fair."

The grip loosened a bit, giving Dipper a little more room to relax- or at least as much as he could relax. 

"Besides," the demon mused, "I never said I would give you the password- I said I'd give you a hint- for a favor in return, of course. 

Dipper gritted his teeth, knowing this wouldn't end well. "And if I don't let you use me- then what. You're going to make me have a bad dream? Stalk me? Face it. You can't do anything to me while your stuck in the mindscape." He replied, bitterly.

It was Bill's turn to frown, eyes glowing with potential danger, "I'd watch my tongue if I were you kid. I could terrorize you to a breaking point. However... if I broke you now, I wouldn't be able to torment you later, and where would the fun be in that?" He hummed, raising a brow, "And as for using you, I'm afraid you don't have a say in the matter. A deal's a deal, and I'll do as I please.

With that, Dipper's hair was released, leaving the boy to rub at his aching head. Bill took a step back to stare the boy down, reverting back to his usual amused expression. Oh how he loved making a mess of the boy. 

"..." Dipper glared at Bill, staring into his brilliant, two different colored eyes, "Why do you... look like that." He asked dully, making the question appear to be a statement. 

"I'm so glad you asked." The demon chuckled, cocking his head to the side, "I figured, this look would be more appealing to the human eye. And, well, people don't typically trust the things they don't know. What do you think? Am I appealing to the human eye?" Bill teased, making the boy flush.

"..." Dipper didn't respond. He really didn't know how to. So, he simply changed the subject. "You can't just be here to tell me what you're already going to do-... regardless of my opinion. So why are you here." 

Bill grinned like a mad man, clapping his hands together, "Now we're getting somewhere! You see, Pine Tree, I need to make another deal."

Dipper gave Bill a quizzical look, dull eyes glaring, "Are you serious right now."

Bill chuckled a bit, giving a nod, "Yup. Pretty serious."

"...What makes you think I'd ever be willing to make another deal with you. You tricked me the last time, and I'll be damned if you trick me again." Dipper huffed, deciding he'd had enough of sitting pathetically on the ground, cowering before Bill. He let his hands push himself off of the filthy, dirt coverd ground, and onto his feet. Attempting to become sturdy in his weakened state, he stumbled, right into Bill's grasp. It was as if the demon knew Dipper would topple over as soon as he tried to stand- as he stood there waiting with open arms. The boy fell right against his chest, so close that if the demon had a heartbeat, Dipper might be able to hear it.

"It really would be a shame if something were to happen to Shooting Star while I was out and about- now wouldn't it?"

Dipper could feel the vibration of Bill's voice through his chest, and the boy remained unmoving. Frozen in place by the demon's words, Dipper paled, thinking about the people he cared about most.

Mabel...

He couldn't let anything happen to her. Especially when she'd done nothing wrong.

"...what do you want." Dipper muttered under his breath, knowing there was no other way to prevent Bill from hurting his twin. Or worse...

A soft chuckle left the demon's lips as he held the boy close, "I want you to stay quiet. In other words... no one can know about this."

Dipper shuffled a little uncomfortably, awkwardly leaning against the other, unable to support himself entirely. "And if I stay quiet... You won't hurt them?"

Bill stayed quiet for a moment, staring down at the mess of brown curls before him, his hand unconsciously moving to play with it. Fingers threaded through the knotted hair, making Dipper nervous that he might pull it again. "Them?" He questioned in a slick voice, finding that he rather enjoyed the feeling of Dipper's hair- even through leather gloves.

Dipper gave out a shaky breath, "Yeah... Y-you know... Family. Friends. You can't hurt any of them..." he said gently, unsure of whether to enjoy fingers in his hair or worry about them. Honestly, he should have been worried with how close they were in general. Of course, Dipper was a little worried and nervous... just not as much as he should have been.

"Hmmmm..." Bill hummed. Well, that didn't give him enough room to do what he needed to do. Obviously, when Ford returned- or if he returned- he would be considered family. And of course, knowing Fordsie, the two would be bonding rather quickly. Dipper would use the deal against him to keep his great uncle safe... So, he'd need to twist Dipper's words around a bit. "How about... Everyone working in that shack right now." 

"...Huh?" Dipper mumbled, needing a bit more clarification. 

"Not including yourself, I won't hurt a single soul working in that shack as of now. Shooting Star, Red, Question Mark, the old buffoon." Bill explained gently, still preoccupied with the boy's hair and how it felt against his fingers. "So even if they no longer work there later on, they'll be safe."

It sounded simple enough... but...

"What about myself?" Dipper questioned, knowing already that he probably wouldn't like the answer. There was a reason Bill excluded Dipper from the list, and Dipper would be lying if he said that it didn't scare him. 

Bill stopped playing with the boy's hair for a second, cold eyes staring down at the boy who refused to look up to him and meet them. "I can't make any promises." He said, sharply, "If I'm possessing you and something happens- it is possible that your death will be a result."

Dipper stiffened under the demon's hold, gulping at the thought. He certainly didn't want to die... he still had so much he wanted to do in life. He wanted to become a ghost hunter- write his own books! He was going to turn eighteen at the end of this summer, and he was going to celebrate with Mabel, and- 

Bill gave a small cough, causing Dipper to jump a little, snapping out of his thoughts. "However, I still need you, so I can't have you dying on me. I will do my best to make sure you don't suffer any fatal wounds. And if you manage to make it through all of my plans... I won't kill you." No, Bill wouldn't kill the boy, but that didn't mean he'd break all ties between them. He was still his puppet after all. "Sound fair enough?"

"..." Finally, the boy lifted his head to meet the eyes of the demon. Bill could sense the strength in his eyes. The confidence. "If I die, then our deal is still valid. So... if I do keep quiet until the moment I pass away... you're still not allowed to hurt any of them."

Bill grinned, "Of course Pine Tree." He purred, knowing for sure now that he was getting what he wanted. As he usually did. Gloved fingers lifted Dipper's chin up a bit more, keeping the eye contact as he continued to speak.

"Anything else?" 

Dipper thought over the question, but it was too hard to think under the circumstances. He was uncomfortable being held the way he was being held, and by the person he hated the most. Even after all those years of growth, he was still the awkward boy he was when he was twelve.

"N-no... I don't think..." Dipper stuttered, looking away from the demon with flushed cheeks.

"Great, so do we have a deal?" Bill asked, eyes half lidded and amused, his grin just as crooked as it was the other times he smiled. He backed up, just enough to make the deal he thrived for.

"..." Dipper's eyes trailed down to see the hand that was held out before him, lit with blue flame. Hesitantly, he inched his hand closer to the others, "Y-yeah... it's a deal-" 

Before Dipper could grip the hand himself, Bill had gotten a hold of his own hand, giving it a firm shake before using it to bring him closer. "It's been great doing business with you kiddo." He cackled, "Catch you on the flip side."


	2. Tad Strange

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mabel and Pacifica drag Dipper around the mall, and Dipper finds a book. They meet Tad Strange, who only seems to be getting stranger by the minute.

"Catch you on the flip side"

Dipper shot up in his sheets with a scream, his eyes widening and heart pounding in his chest. His lungs burned just as they did when he was running in the dream, and his throat seemed too dry to bear. Looking to his left, Dipper was lucky to have found a glass of water on the nightstand from the night before. He never did finish that water; it was a good thing too.

Taking the glass, Dipper downed what was left of the liquid until he felt somewhat better. He cringed as he set the cup back down, hating the feeling of the damp clothing that stuck to his skin. Waking up in cold sweat, in Dipper's opinion, was the worst way to start a day. And he certainly wasn't going to end his day in the same condition. He needed a shower. 

Unfortunately, before the poor boy could even get up, a pair of sock covered feet jumped onto the bed, making him fall back. The girl bounced up and down in excitement, causing her already wild curls to become even messier, and the whole bed to shake. "RISE AND SHINE BRO BRO~" Mabel cheered, her eyes filled with stars.

"Mabel!!!" Dipper shouted out in an exasperated voice.

"Can you believe we're back in Gravity Falls again? God I missed this place!" She exclaimed, finally plopping down onto the bed and sitting criss cross applesauce, the fuzzy pink socks showing.

Dipper sat up straight, giving his sister a small smile and the roll of his eyes. Yeah, it definitely was hard to believe they were back. What was it... Three? Four years? It had been a long while since they last saw the shack. 

If it weren't for that dream- and Bill- Dipper would even dare to say he wished they could live here. Forever. Where the mystery is never-ending, and the people are just as weird as himself. It truly felt just like home.

"I missed Gravity Falls too." Dipper said with a content sigh.

There was a moment of silence between the two. It wasn't awkward though. Just nice.

"Hey, I'mma make some pancakes. You want some?" Mabel asked with a smile, "Then we can plan the day out while we eat! There's so much we need to catch up on- I already contacted Paz. We're going to meet her at Barnes & Noble!" She chimed.

"Barnes & Noble- wait, they have a Barnes & Noble here now?!" Dipper asked with excited eyes, too fixated on books to even care about Pacifica being there too. Despite making up and becoming friends after ghost hunting together, the two still fought over the several Skype calls Mabel would make in the living room. Pacific always had something to say about Dipper's appearance, even when the two weren't in the same room together. 

"Yup yup! Isn't that awesome? I just found out the other day, before we got here when I was talking to Candy and Grenda. I figured you'd love that!" She hummed, hopping off of the bed and walking over to the door, a skip to her step. "So, you go ahead and get ready. You don't wanna be sweaty and awkward before we go out, do you?"

Dipper gave a small chuckle and a delighted nod, "Of course not. I'll be out in thirty." Normally, Dipper would have been offended by the words 'sweaty' and 'awkward', but today, he was too happy to be bothered by it. And, as usual, his sister was right. Dipper was really gross at the moment.

"Okie Dokie! I'll be waiting downstairs with pancakes!" She chimed with a wave, making her way downstairs. 

Dipper chuckled, getting up and stretching his arms out. The teen twisted his small frame to each side, cracking his back and then stepping towards the restroom. Having been in such a good mood, it was hard for the boy to be worried by the dream, or to even think about it. He hummed a soft tune which had been stuck in his head for a while now, as he turned the faucet of the shower and undressed. It was a familiar tune, sweet and soothing, like something from a dreams. He couldn't remember where he heard it from, though he did recall having heard it before. Dipper could swear there were words to the song- and it really bothered him not knowing them. It felt like he really should have known the lyrics.

Stepping into the shower, he continued to hum that same tune, pondering on what it was. As the steamy water hit the teen's back, his muscles relaxed, and he leaned his head back to get the hair there wet. Dipper let the clear liquid make his hair damp and heavy before reaching for the shampoo. The boy sighed when he saw the girly look on the bottle, his melody coming to a stop. Of course. Mabel was so excited to unpack, that her shampoo was the only usable shampoo at the moment. Well, it was better than no shampoo at all. And the label even said that it had detangling properties. Which, if it actually did have detangling properties, Dipper would be rather grateful. Brushing his hair was always a challenge. 

Dipper popped the cap to the bottle, and poured the bubbly substance into his knotted hair. He scrubbed at the wet curls, finding that he actually enjoying the strawberry and floral scent that came from it. It reminded him of all the times he spent with his sister and when she would flick her hair into his face. The teen grinned at the thought. Something that used to be so annoying now made a fond memory.

After rinsing the shampoo out, Dipper moved on to lather the auburn locks with conditioner, and then finally, he washed the rest of his body with soap. Which, unfortunately, the soap was also Mabel's. It didn't look as girly as the last two bottles, but it was labeled 'Dove Pistachio Cream', which was bound to smell creamy and sweet. As Dipper expected, it did, but it was still a nice scent nonetheless. 

He just hoped Pacifica wouldn't tease him for it.

Finally clean and rinsed off, Dipper grabbed the towel that waited for him on the wrack outside the shower, and wrapped it around himself. Stepping outside the shower, Dipper nearly groaned. He forgot to bring an outfit with him into the bathroom, which meant he'd have to travel back to his room, and into his closet to retrieve the clothing. 

Shivering and still soaking wet, the teen made his way out of the bathroom and back into his room where his closet was. He ended up picking a plaid shirt and dark blue jeans to wear, as well as underwear and socks. Staring at his reflection in the mirror, Dipper held up the shirt to his chest, deciding whether or not to wear the dark reds that it consisted of.

"DIPPER!"

Dipper turned his head to the sound of his sister shouting from the level below, wondering why his sister was calling for him.

"IT'S ALREADY BEEN 40 FLIPPING MINUTES, WHERE ARE YOU?!" The girl sounded, making the boy flinch.

His eyes widened, not realizing that he'd taken that long to get ready. "I- uhh- I'LL BE RIGHT THERE. JUST GIMME A SEC!" He responded, no longer caring about his options in clothing, but instead, rushing to put everything he had out on. He stumbled, hopping across the floor as he attempted to pull his jeans up. As soon as the pants were up, he quickly ran down the stairs, nearly missing a step on the way. Upon seeing his sister, Dipper could only stare in confusion and awe. Somehow, within the time it'd take Dipper to shower, Mabel had already fixed up her hair (each curl set in an orderly fashion), and had gotten all made up. Her skin looked nearly flawless, and her eyes bold with eyeliner and mascara. She even had gotten dressed in her favorite magenta skirt and baggy sweater.

Mabel was always the organized one in these events

"There you are! Oh jeez, your hair is soaking wet." Mabel laughed, taking the towel that was around Dipper's neck, and throwing it over his head, rubbing thoroughly. Dipper could only attempt to pull away as his twin roughly squeezed the brown locks until they were as dry as they could possibly get. The teen boy groaned in annoyance, finally allowing Mabel to finish and pull away herself.

And she did pull away, eventually, only to criticize how the other buttoned his shirt (he skipped over one). After fixing that too, Mabel led her twin to the kitchen to where she had made blueberry pancakes, as well as two cups of creamy hot chocolate to start the day.

The pancakes were good, but Dipper couldn't remember the last time that Mabel's cooking wasn't good. Having specialized in arts and crafts, she greatly improved on her cooking skills as well. The only thing he refused to consume that his sister offered, was 'Mabel Juice'. As a child, Dipper thought. The drink couldn't get any more intense. Boy was he wrong. Mabel mixed all sorts of things into that drink, now including 5hour energy drinks and 'MONSTER' drinks. Dipper shivered at the thought of the deadly collision. 

"Thanks for breakfast Mabes." Dipper said to the other from across the table.

"No problem bro-bro!" Mabel said with a mouth full of food before chewing and swallowing, "Now! As for today, we're gonna get going in about a half an hour to meet Paz at the mall- and before you go complaining, that's also where Barnes and Noble is going to be." She explained, rolling her eyes at the face Dipper made, "And then, after we hit a couple of stores, were going to go to Freddy's for some lunch and custard. Candy and Grenda are going to meet us there."

The boy was honestly surprised. For being such a small town, Gravity Falls sure had grown a lot. First a Barnes and Noble, then Freddy's? Snapping out of his thoughts on the town, a small thought on an old friend came to mind.

"What about Wendy? Think she can make it?" Dipper asked with bright eyes, excitement in the tone of voice.

Mabel only giggled, causing Dipper to frown. "I see someone still hasn't gotten over their childhood crush~" she sang, a teasing grin on her lips.

"No- it's not like that." The boy denied, eyebrows knitting together, "We haven't seen her in a while and I just thought it'd be cool if we could... uhhh... hang out. That's all..."

"Suuuuuuure." Mabel laughed a bit more, to show off her sarcastic demeanor, "Well, unfortunately, Wendy said she couldn't make it today. Something about being out of town to visit some family... but she said she'd be back in a few days to meet up with us. She even said she has gifts for us!" The girl cheered.

Dipper sighed, but smiled and nodded, "Alright." At least he'd still get to see her this summer.

"So, back to today's plans! After lunch and custard, we're going to go see a movie, and-"

"Where exactly were we planning on getting all the money for this?" Dipper interrupted, raising a brow.

"Well..." Mabel said, a small look of guilt in her expression as she rubbed at the back of her neck, "Paz said she wanted to take care of it... so..."

Of course she did. Dipper sighed. Pacifica was always willing to do anything, if it meant that it were for Mabel. "You do know that she has a crush on you, right?" The boy explained for what felt like the millionth time that year. And the year before that...

"I already told you there's no way! She just has money to blow, and who better to blow it with than her best pal?" Mabel said with a bold grin, despite her blushing and fidgeting at the thought. There was no way the rich blonde liked a commoner such as herself.

Dipper shrugged, "Well, when she asks you out, don't act all surprised. I'm telling you, she seems pretty interested." He said with a teasing smile of his own.

"Nahhh..." Mabel trailed off, brushing a couple of loose curls behind her ear before her eyes flickered over to the clock, and- "Oh shit! We gotta get going, or we're going to be late!" She exclaimed, quickly getting up and shoving dishes into the sink.

"Wha-" Dipper began before Mabel stole his plate too, tossing it along with the other dirty dishes, "Hey! I wasn't done with that!" 

Mabel didn't listen, instead, grabbing Dipper's arm and dragging him to the car. "No time!" We gotta go!"

The teenage girl opened a door to the car, shoving Dipper into it before he eventually finished getting in on his own. Then, she got in on the other side, calling out, "I'm driving!"

Dipper didn't have time to argue or complain. So he just went along with it, hoping Mabel would be gentle with the steering wheel. 

As usual, she wasn't.

_____________________________

After a bumpy car ride, Dipper felt like he was going to be sick. Being stuck in the car with Mabel driving was never a good thing. In fact, Dipper wasn't even sure how the girl had even managed to get her driver's license. The two were lucky they didn't get pulled over.

Breathing heavily, the boy exited the car, and leaned against it with his head hanging down. If the ground weren't so filthy, Dipper probably would have kissed it, greatful to have it under his feet where it belonged.

"Oh come on, it wasn't that bad broseph! Just a few pot holes-" all avoidable, "-a few red lights ran-" A few?! "-and one cat I saved by swerving around!" Nearly getting the two killed in the processes.

Dipper groaned, "I'm driving on the way back..."

"Fine fine! Have it your way!" Mabel said in a dismissive manner as she rolled her eyes, “I still don't see what the big deal is. I got us here safely, didn’t I?” 

“Barely…” Dipper muttered, saying no more when Mabel continued to defend her case. Tuning out the rambling of his twin, Dipper made his way into the mall where Pacifica would be awaiting the two.

As soon as they walked in, a girl had been waiting for the two, her short bleach blond hair framing her pale face. She had two thick baby-blue streaks in that blond hair of hers, and wore a blue headband to compliment it. Even Dipper had to admit, the girl was beautiful. Age treated Pacifica rather well, her figure thin, tall, and slightly curvy. Though, she wasn't as curvy as Mabel was. She wore short shorts, and a navy blue top that hung over her shoulders. Her eyes were that same crystal blue color as before, and her expression didn't change much either. Indifferent and focused… on her phone of course. After all, she was still that same rich girl they met in their youth.

“Paz!” Mabel shouted, running up to the girl.

Pacifica looked away from her phone to meet the eyes of the other, her own eyes sparkling at the sight. “Mabel! You made it!” she said before giving a dismissive glance towards the boy. “...Dipper.” she acknowledged in a monotonous voice, making it obviously that she didn't care for his presence. 

“Nice to see you too.” Dipper replied dully before his sister jumped into the conversation. 

“Of course I did silly! There was no way I wouldn't make it.” Mabel cheered in response to Pacifica, “Who could ever miss out on a shopping date with you? I mean, even dipper tagged along.” 

Only because there was a bookstore involved, Dipper thought to himself. 

Pacifica smiled at Mabel, “He's going to be carrying our bags right?”

“Of course!” Mabel laughed.

“Wait, wha-” Dipper began, “I never agreed to th-”

“Less talk more shop!” Mabel shouted, causing Pacifica to give out a small chuckle, and Dipper a low groan. 

This was going to be a long day.

And as usual, he was right. It was a long day. The three had gone to several fragrance and clothing shops, though they did not go into Victoria's Secret. Dipper refused to enter the shop, and the girls thought that if they went in without him, he'd run away or leave the bags unattended. Afterwards, they finally went to the bookstore. In return for carrying her bags, Mabel offered to buy Dipper a book… with Pacifica’s money. Which, Dipper refused. He had his own money to spend.

“I'm going to go look in the mystery section. Why don't you guys take your bags to the car?” Dipper said, handing the bags to his sister.

“Uhhm… Sure you don't wanna come with us dipstick?” Mabel asked, her voice nearly cracking.

Dipper gave the girl a sly grin before responding, “Yeah I'm sure. Why don't you two go get some alone time? I'll be here if you need me.”

Mabel blushed fiercely, her eyes pleading for her brother to accompany the two. Dipper, of course, didn't ever change his mind, the teasing grin never leaving his lips.

“Alone time… wha-” Pacifica began with flushed cheeks. 

“Nothing!” Mabel shouted awkwardly, moving to push the girl away, “We should just go now!”

Dipper chuckled as the blushing brunette dragged the sputtering blonde away. Then, once the two were gone, he began his search for a book. His fingertips grazed the content of the shelf, books in every corner. Though the day was long, Dipper was glad to have a distraction from… Bill. It was so odd. The way he reacted to the demon's-

“AGH-!” Dipper yelped, pulling his hand back after an electric shock surged through him at the touch of a book. Confused and disoriented, Dipper's eyes flickered to where the shock had come from. It certainly was a dusty book… it hardly looked like it belonged in a Barnes&Noble bookstore. “What the…” Dipper muttered, taking the book out of it's shelf (luckily it didn't shock him again), and he brushed some of the dust off of it. 

The cover was a thick eggplant purple, its pages bound to the spine with rope-like string. There were many shapes indented into the cover, and in the top center, a cursive word was written. Though, the word seemed impossible to read. He hadn't a clue what it said. Flipping through the pages, Dipper was sure this was the book he wanted. It was almost as if the book was whimpering to him. Encouraging him to take it. His eyes skimmed through the book, only now realizing that there was no price tag. And when he looked back to the shelf, he could see no other book like it. Dipper shrugged, deciding to ask someone else for help as he knew he wouldn't be able to solve this mystery on his own.

Holding the book to his chest, the male went over to the register to check out the piece. One man sat behind the counter, smiling at Dipper and waiting for him- which made the teen really uncomfortable. He looked really familiar… black hair, slicked back, and a perfectly clean suit. Not a single wrinkle could be seen in that suit of his, his tie just as neat. Something else he'd recognized… was that the man's eyes were a bright violet. Surely that wasn't normal, but deciding to not press the matter, he did what he had come to do from the start.

“Excuse me sir… but this book…” Dipper spoke setting the book onto the counter, “I couldn't find a price tag in it? I was hoping you could help me out.”

The worker only smiled further, his pearly white teeth showing as he took the book into his hands and looked it over, “Of course. I can understand why you’re having such troubles. you see, this book is quite special.” 

Dipper frowned slightly, confused, “...Special?”

“Yes! It's a rare book. One of a kind.” He explained, smile unfaltering, “And if you enjoy… the stranger things in life, then surely you will love this.”

Dipper frowned further, unsure of why this conversation was being dragged out so much. He just wanted to know the price of the book. “Yeah… I'm sure I will. Can you please tell me how much it costs?”

“For you,” the man paused, “free.”

Dipper stared at the other, dumbfounded now, as he raised a brow, “Free?”

“Mmmhmm.” he replied, “Unless you wanted to give me your name in return?”

His name? Well… that was an odd request. 

“Dipper Pines…”

The man chuckled a bit, eyes half lidded in amusement, “What a wonderful name.” he commented, visibly licking over his perfect white teeth. 

Feeling a bit uneasy, Dipper took a step back, “Yeah… and you are?”

“Strange. Tad Strange.”

Dipper remembered this guy… he lived in Gravity Falls the first time the twins visited. Somehow, he seemed a lot creepier than he used to… In fact, he seemed much stranger than before. Much, much stranger. The teen studied the other’s features a little longer, as if looking for something that sorted him out from the others. Something that would… make him unhuman. Now that he was beginning to think about it, Tad hadn’t seemed to age a day since he’d last seen him. Nor did he have… black spots on his neck. Dipper was certain those weren’t there before. As the teen squinted his eyes to get a better look, the worker had noticed the staring and adjusted the collar of his shirt to cover the markings. Dipper’s eyes met the violet eyes of the strange man, and for a moment there was no smile. There was only silence.

Though, the silence didn’t last long.

Suddenly, Dipper felt a tap to his shoulder, and turned to see his sister and Pacifica, all ready to go. “We got everything all packed up! Found a book yet?” Mabel asked, looking over to Tad, who was still holding Dipper’s book, “Ooooh, It’s purple!”

“Indeed it is. Lovely color isn’t it?” Tad exclaimed, smiling at the girl.

She nodded. “Favorite color of the week!”

Dipper wasn’t sure if he wanted his sister hanging around this guy. And it seemed that Pacifica was feeling the same way as she shot a glare at Tad, distaste in her expression.

“Purple just so happens to be my favorite color of the week too, Mabel.” Pacifica exclaimed, all while glaring at Tad.

“No way!” Mabel said with an excited grin.

“Yeah... I could have sworn that just earlier today, you said that your favorite color was-” Dipper began, only to be cut off by the blond.

“Shut up.” She said sternly, her glaring eyes now on Dipper, who simply rolled his eyes in return.

Tad raised a brow at the group of teens, before chiming in once more, “Well, my lady, if you don’t mind, hand this over to the young lad?” he said, nodding over to the boy.

Mabel giggled a little, gladly taking the book from the man and giving it to Dipper.

Both Pacifica and Dipper were unimpressed with the worker, and were ready to leave.

“Now, as much as I enjoy your company, I’m sure you have somewhere to be.” Tad explained.

And boy was he right.

Startled, Mabel looked to her watch, which indicated that it was nearly time for lunch. “Oh jeez! We gotta go!” 

“You said it. I’m ready to go.” Pacifica agreed.

Dipper only nodded and followed the two girls on their way out. Mabel was too rushed to remember to say goodbye, and the other two, simply didn’t care to. However, Tad Strange did.

“Goodbye Mason Pines, I’ll be seeing you around, I’m sure.” He chuckled, “Enjoy your book.”

Freezing in place, Dipper turned to look back at the man- only, he was nowhere to be seen. Where he stood was only empty space.

Mason Pines. Dipper didn’t tell him that.

He didn’t tell the other his birth name… Did he?

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tad sighed, a groan leaving his lips as he rubbed at his aching neck. 

What a pain. 

Of all times this could have possibly happened… now was the worst time. However, there was not much he could do to change the fact that this was happening. Glancing in the mirror in the men’s bathroom, Tad inspected the bruised blotches of black under the cloth of his shirt. At least it didn’t reek of rotting flesh yet. Though, it still wasn’t a pretty sight. The markings looked concerning, and Tad almost felt bad for the body. All the years of use was catching up to it. 

“Mpphhhh-” muffled sounds came from the stall behind Tad, and he couldn’t help but sigh at the reminder.

“Oh yeah… Forgot all about you.” He muttered, turning around and nudging the door of the stall, causing it to slip open.

There was the man that Tad had taken the place of behind the counter in the shop, all tied up, just as he’d left him. “Tony.” he said dully, pulling the gag off of the short man.

“Toby.” The man boldly corrected, leading Tad to sigh for a third time that night.

“Whatever.” He said, snapping and letting the ropes come undone, “Not a word about this to your manager, you hear?”

The stubby little man nodded, and bolted out of the men’s restroom.

Even if he did tell his manager, who was going to believe that someone committed a crime or two to give a book to a teenage boy? No one would. That would be absurd. 

Taking a deep breath, Tad rubbed at his neck and relaxed his stiff aching body. Unfortunately, as much as Tad wanted to take a break, he had better things to do than wait around in a restroom.

He had places to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this seems poorly written! I've been really busy with my first ever job! (and I'm kinda grounded from electronic stuff until I can pull up my grades)
> 
> I hope this is alright for now though. Sorry again!

**Author's Note:**

> Omg, so sorry guys! I actually originally had 4,500 words for the first chapter all ready to post- but it deleted, and now I have to REWRITE EVERYTHING that disappeared -_- I know, I'm such a clutz. Even in writing XD
> 
> Well, I made Bill's description a bit vague, so you can view him in any way you'd like ^-^ however, at some point, I'll probably post a pic of my Bill for you guys!
> 
> I hope those of you reading this are enjoying it! Please lemme know what you think in the comments! I welcome criticism, but please don't be mean about it. My weak heart can't handle it X3


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